LiveRail, an ad-tech startup acquired by Facebook's in 2014, powers video ads for publishers and will now power display and native ads. This expands Facebook's offering for publishers, enabling publishers to have greater control, efficiency, and yield.

This enhances Facebook's ecosystem, putting the social network in a direct battle with Google and Twitter's MoPub. As Facebook adds more ad products and features, advertisers and publishers have the opportunity to reach their goals with fewer platforms.

WSJ's CMO Today writes that Facebook is getting traction with publishers from BuzzFeed to the New York Times in a deal to host publisher content directly on Facebook.

Since content sites already see significant traffic from Facebook, it seems straightforward to host articles on-network instead of off.

But publishers aren't sure whether they can trust Facebook, concerned about less control and access to user data. The strategy is still hush hush, but Snapchat's early success with its Discover platform could lead the way for more advertiser and publisher collaborations.

Do more shares amount to more sales? BuzzFeed is on a mission to prove it might.

Native ads are commonly understand to contribute to brand lift and social engagement, but digital advertising has always been held to a higher standard than its traditional media counterpart.

Part of that is because of all the data that comes with digitial, which BuzzFeed is hoping to leverage in an attempt to prove real-life ROI – like buying a Toyota after seeing a Toyota ad. A Toyota ad made by BuzzFeed of course.